Basque hotspot San Sebastian has truly fantastic food at bargain prices
Foodies will be in heaven on a Pinxtos and Wine tour around Basque city San Sebastian from their small bars to Michelin starred restaurants
USUALLY I wouldn’t eat in a place with dirty floors . . . but in San Sebastian, that is how you track down all the best food.
It is customary here to drop the leftovers from your pintxos on the floor after eating.
Bars with the most debris are the ones the locals love.
Like tapas only smaller, pintxos are eaten in bars all over Basque country.
This storied Spanish city is heaven for foodies, with 17 Michelin-starred restaurants.
But the real gems are the pintxos bars.
You don’t sit to eat but stand around with a tipple before moving on to the next place.
Each bite-size treat usually costs between two and eight euros.
I have never been sure about guided tours but with so many places to eat, it seemed like a good idea.
Costing £99 a head, with a local guide organised by Devour, ours wasn’t cheap — but it was the highlight of our trip.
We ended up going back to many of the places we visited on the tour for a second visit, including La Cuchara de San Telmo.
There we ate amazing calf’s cheeks in red wine on creamy mashed potato.
It was so perfectly cooked, it just melted in your mouth. And it cost just six euros a dish.
We also found the best cheesecake I have ever eaten.
The baked Spanish dessert helped make La Vina famous.
The restaurant was filled with tourists and locals alike, some eating a slice before taking home more for the family.
We spent six nights in San Sebastian but you could see most of it in a long weekend.
We stayed at the NH San Sebastian, Aranzazu, a hotel mostly used by business people but which proved a perfect base.
It was a 20-minute stroll into the Old Town and just a ten-minute walk to San Sebastian’s other main claim to fame — La Concha Beach.
It is the top-rated beach in Europe as judged by TripAdvisor reviews and it is easy to see why.
You can stand anywhere along the promenade and take in the beautiful views on the bay.
We took a trip to the city in early June and the sandy beach was busy with sunbathers but not overcrowded, as a sunny day in Bournemouth might be.
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While La Concha is beautiful, it is also worth checking out the smaller beaches of Ondarreta and Zurriola.
The first is to the left of the long La Concha stretch and is often less busy.
Over the bridge on the old side of town is Zurriola, where surfers head as the sun sets to catch the last of the waves.
That is what makes San Sebastian so magical. From the most delicious food you have ever tasted to the glamorous beach, to surfers waiting on the horizon for the perfect swell, you never know what lies around the corner.
GO: San Sebastian
GETTING THERE: British Airways has flights to San Sebastian from £149 return.
See .
STAYING THERE: A double room at the NH Hotel San Sebastian Aranzazu is from £61 per night in February and £110 per night in May.
Head to .
The six best pintxos bars in town
WE visited six bars as part of our Devour Ultimate Pinxtos &; Wine tour, but here are our favourites from a week of dedicated eating.
1) La Mejillonera: A real local place. Go for the freshly steamed mussels and dry Basque cider.
2) Bar Nestor: Has the best tortilla in town. Devotees queue up for them and put their name down for a slice in advance, as supplies are strictly limited.
The bar makes just two tortillas a day, one for lunch and one for dinner.
3) Bar Txepetxa: Even if you are not a big fan of sardines, you need to try the ones topped with Basque spider crab.
4) La Cuchara de San Telmo: The pork cheeks on mashed potato and bacalao (salt cod) with beetroot puree make this a must.
Likewise its swoon-worthy beef shin and mash.
Often busy but you can slip in round a side entrance instead of queuing.
5) Gandarias: You must try the grilled beef tenderloin and a glass of Rioja Crianza wine.
6) La Vina: The perfect end to the night has to be a slice of award-winning cheesecake.
Definitely the best cheesecake we have ever tried.
- Take the tour for £99 per person, which includes all your food and drink. For more information, see .